


Midnight

by icandrawamoth



Series: February Ficlet Challenge 2019 [4]
Category: The Extinction Cycle - Nicholas Sansbury Smith
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Canon Disabled Character, Established Relationship, February Ficlet Challenge, Fluff, Hair touching, Late Night Conversations, M/M, in my head Fitz looks like Fitz from The Lizzie Bennet Diaries
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-07
Updated: 2019-02-07
Packaged: 2019-10-23 21:31:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 514
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17691428
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/icandrawamoth/pseuds/icandrawamoth
Summary: Riley visits Fitz in Tower Four.





	Midnight

**Author's Note:**

> For February Ficlet Challenge day four prompt "blind date."

It's nearly midnight when Fitz hears and feels the telltale vibration that means someone is climbing up the ladder to Tower Four. He pauses in his scan of the coastline and peeks down through the opening in the floor to see Riley struggling up toward him.

“What do you think you're doing?” Fitz asks, trying to be stern. “You not supposed to be overexerting yourself. You're still healing.”

“'m _fine_ ,” Riley insists, even as he reaches the top of the tower and pulls himself dramatically to the floor, rolling over onto his back and breathing hard.

“Not that I'm complaining, but you're not technically supposed to be up here while I'm on duty either.”

Riley blinks up at him. “Plum Island's got like two dozen good men, and you're one of them. What're they gonna do, kick you to the curb because your boyfriend came to visit?”

Fitz rolls his eyes, but he can't help smiling. “So, what, you just went to the pain of climbing up here in middle of the night for no reason?”

Riley huffs and drags himself to his knees, shuffling across the small space toward Fitz. “Couldn't sleep,” he admits.

“Nightmares?” Fitz drops into the chair sitting in one corner of the tower and reachs for him as Riley comes to a stop beside him.

The younger man nods silently, leaning his head against Fitz's thigh and murmuring contentedly as Fitz runs a hand through his curls. “Don' wanna be alone. Promise I won't distract you.”

“All right then.” As if Fitz could really turn him away, now or ever. He continues playing with Riley's hair as Riley relaxes against him, comfortable silence falling between them.

“Do you ever wonder...” Riley ventures after a while.

“Wonder what?”

“If all this hadn't happened, we probably wouldn't even have met.”

Fitz frowns. “Maybe not. But you never know. We might have still found each other.”

“My sister-” Riley begins, then pauses, swallowing. Fitz knows what he's thinking – that his sister is certainly dead now – and scratches his scalp lightly in silent comfort. Riley sighs quietly, leaning into the touch, and goes on. “She used to set me up on all these blind dates. She was convinced she could help me find my perfect match. I was never a big fan, though. I didn't like not knowing anything about the person I was gonna see, not even what they looked like when I walked into the room.”

“I'll be the black guy with blades for legs,” Fitz deadpans.

Riley chuckles. “You do stand out. I wouldn't have been able to look away.” He tilts his head back, smiling up at Fitz, the fingers of one hand running slowly along the edge of one of Fitz's prosthetics. “I'm glad I met you.”

“Me, too.” Fitz stretches down to kiss him, then they settle again, Riley resting against him as Fitz scans the surroundings of Plum Island. No unusual movement. No threats. Just the quiet sounds of a late night. For a moment, even in the midst of the apocalypse, he finds himself content.


End file.
